It is with deep sadness that I report to the College community news of the passing of Betsy Dubovsky, Executive Director of The Staten Island Foundation.
Ms. Dubovsky has served her entire professional life in service to the not-for-profit community.
Since taking her leadership position at the Foundation in 1998, Ms. Dubovsky has transformed the organization into a powerful force for good in this Borough. Due to her efforts, it is a significant benefactor and champion of charitable, educational, and arts programs on Staten Island, especially those serving the least advantaged.
Those benefits have been extended to the College of Staten Island in the form of a number of generous grants, primarily for the Perry Ellis Sutton SEEK (Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge) Program, which provides access to college, promoting academic success and personal achievement through an array of comprehensive counseling, academic, financial and other support services.
Beyond CSI, Ms. Dubovsky, who earned a Master’s degree in Social Work from Rutgers University and also graduated from the Columbia Business School Institute for Not-for-Profit Management Executive Education, has worked for a number of organizations, including the American Red Cross in Greater New York, the Community Agency for Senior Citizens, and the Visiting Nurse Association, where she founded its social work service.
She has also volunteered for the Staten Island YMCA and provided service to Holy Child Church and a number of community organizations. Over her distinguished career, Ms. Dubovsky has won a number of awards for personal community service in addition to accepting numerous recognitions on behalf of the work of The Staten Island Foundation.
The College recognized Ms. Dubovsky’s enormous positive impact on our institution and our community by awarding her the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in 2013.
By William J. Fritz
